Small prices to pay for fighting plastic pollution: Letters

I always dread reading about this topic because it seems to bring out the uninformed and uninspired.

All of the reasons people claim these plastic bags are used for can easily be dismissed. The problem is that they are being deprived of a “free and convenient” means to accomplish the tasks. Decomposable bags are readily available. There is a cost factor, but making them can replace lost jobs. Fast-food packaging made from biodegradable materials are available. The Long Beach Convention Center uses such packaging as well as biodegradable utensils.

The real chuckle, however, comes from those who decry the unsanitary nature of reusable bags despite no evidence to support the claim. Cloth bags go in the washer. Repurposed plastic bags can be cleaned with a mild bleach solution or soap. There is a cost to repairing the environment that mankind has trashed. Time to pay the piper.

— James L. Wilkie, Long Beach

Iranian leaders want no attempt at regime change

Re “What’s the best way to deny nukes to Iran?” (RedBlue America, Nov. 17):

Joel Mathis and Ben Boychuk debate the virtues of “sticks” and “carrots” to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear weapon ambitions.

Boychuk reminds me of Gen. Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) in “Dr. Strangelove.” He maintains sticks are the only effective tools. “Truth is, this president has no interest in going to war with Iran” — a remarkable statement.

Some examples of carrots that have altered the course of history toward peace and away from war are Presidents Richard Nixon in Beijing and Ronald Reagan in Reykjavik. The Iranian leaders want two things in exchange for giving up their quest for nuclear weapons: removal of sanctions and pariah status, and, most importantly, to be convinced the United States will not attempt regime change, either by this president or any subsequent president that might be of a mind similar to Mr. Boychuk.

I believe the evidence in favor of getting the decision-making power on sexual assaults in the military out of the chain of command is compelling. The high number of victims who choose not to report incidents of sexual assault, combined with the number of commanders who have been found to be the perpetrators, fuel my decision. I strongly support Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s proposal; anything less is pure folly.

I believe there are several factors that contribute to video games being bad or good for kids.

There are some factors for parents, adults or anyone else to consider. First, we have to look at a child’s age and the type of video game he or she is playing. We also have to look at how long they are playing video games. Check to see if, after they are done playing, their personality changes.

And last, we have to see if video games have affected the kid’s social, educational or physical aspect in a negative or positive way.